


on the edge

by rebelrayne



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Friends to Enemies, Friends to Lovers, Sibling Rivalry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:47:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28144086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebelrayne/pseuds/rebelrayne
Summary: Bobby has always loved Maria and he’d do anything to get her to notice him: including pretending to date her sister, Jessy to make her jealous.On hold for ‘rewind’
Relationships: Bobby McKenzie/Original Character(s), Lottie/Gary Rennell
Kudos: 2





	1. i want it, i got it

Bobby had always been in love with Maria Diaz ever since her first day of high school. She’d recently moved from Spain with her parents and little sister, Jessica. Maria had an accent from her native language, having a hard time hiding it with her broken English. Although the girl was a top student in all of their courses, she still struggled to say certain words correctly. She and Lottie bonded immediately and thankfully, Bobby’s best friend was Gary. It hardly got him through the door but at least he met her family. Her dad was a ridiculously good talent agent and was a native of Spain while her mom was a bubbly English woman from Manchester, who’d chosen to stay in Spain for love. Maria’s little sister, Jessica was significantly younger than they were but Lottie’s younger sister, Chelsea was the same age. They were about 10-years-old when they were in grade 11, so about six years apart. Jessica and Chelsea put on a lot of shows for them when they stayed in watching movies and Jessica seemed to have major talent even for a 10-year-old.

“Bobby?” Chelsea was waving her hands in front of his eyes. “Earth to Bobby!” She got up close and personal but smiled largely. Chelsea had become really successful at a young age but had skipped out on college. She was an apprentice for one of the biggest designers in Manchester, decorating for the biggest and the best. She also rocked a beach wave bob like no one Bobby ever knew.

“Sorry,” Bobby said, his face turning bright red. “So what was the plan again?” Bobby knew they were going to a concert but wasn’t sure who they were going to see. As the group got older, Chelsea was included in their plans. Lottie and Gary had recently gotten engaged after being together for 11 years. Gary wanted to buy her a ring that she deserved so he took a bit longer to save up, or that’s the story he wanted to go with.

“We’re going to a pop concert,” Lottie replied with disgust. It was Chelsea’s birthday and even though she loved her little sister, Lottie still refused to even pretend she was excited about a pop sensation concert.

“It’s for my birthday,” Chelsea moped. “I thought Maria was going to come though. Where is she?” Chelsea leaned forward a bit to hear Lottie better from the passenger’s seat. Gary gave a side eye at her, probably wanting her to sit back down and put her seatbelt back on.

“Oi!” Lottie exclaimed. “Sit back!” She shook her head and gave Chelsea an eyeroll. “I know it’s for your birthday but can’t you be normal and want to take shots at a bar? You’re literally the only legal age, single person I know who wanted to go see a bubblegum pop concert for your birthday.”

“You won’t be saying that when we get there!” Chelsea teased. She held up five lanyards, each with a ‘VIP’ plastic card attached to them. Lottie snatched one of them from Chelsea’s hand. “Hey! Be careful with those… They were a gift.”

“No fucking way,” Lottie chuckled. “Jessy Diaz?” She maneuvered herself to look back at Chelsea completely. “As is Jessica Diaz?” She shook her head. “As in Maria Diaz’s little sister? I thought you guys weren’t friends anymore after she became this big rockstar.”

“Jessy has always been my best friend,” Chelsea beamed. “Unlike Maria who is a total flake.” She turned to Bobby and frowned. “Sorry, Bobby…”

“She’s not a flake,” Lottie said as she returned to her seat. “She gets a boyfriend and forgets we all exist. Seriously have no idea why she hasn’t dated Bobby yet considering every time she breaks up with a guy and cries over it, she’s banging on his door begging for a shoulder to cry on or a dick to ride.”

Bobby slumped into his seat a bit more. He felt a bit ashamed that everyone knew this about Maria and him. He was a glorified booty call stuck way deep in the friend zone except with a few extra perks. Maria’s father had gotten her a few gigs modeling but she’d yet to hit it big. Apparently, her little sister festered all the talent in their family.

“I’m sorry, Bobby,” Lottie said to an extreme apologetic tone. “That girl does not know what she’s missing.”

“We’re here,” Gary said, finally breaking his silence. He and Lottie had been arguing about emptying the dishwasher all day but Bobby kept it mum that he knew about the argument. The two had been attached at the hip since grade 10 but Bobby had met Gary when they were 12-years-old. Bobby had just moved from Scotland but Gary was friendly, offering to introduce him to some of the other lads in the class. Lottie was at school with them too but they didn’t really talk until secondary. That’s when he met Maria, the gorgeous Spaniard. It was love at first sight but unfortunately, the feeling didn’t seem to be mutual.

“Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay!” Chelsea started jumping up and down on the pavement as she waited for everyone to exit the car.

“Tone it down, Chels.” Lottie crossed her arms and started stomping to the stadium.

Chelsea waited for Lottie to walk a bit further away then started up again. “Yay! Yay! Yay!” She linked arms with Bobby and smiled as she skipped, following now closely behind her sister. “Come on, Bobby. It’ll all be okay! You don’t need Maria. Besides, you haven’t seen Jessy in forever! And we’ve got backstage passes. All the 15-year-old girls are going to be so jealous of you.”

Bobby appreciated that Chelsea was trying to cheer him up but somehow, it didn’t seem to fill the void. “Thanks, Chelsea but it’s your birthday! We’re going to have a great time tonight celebrating you.” They headed into the concert, going in through a special door for VIP access, allowing them to enjoy the show from a different angle.

***

Jessy ran and hugged Chelsea after the show. “Happy birthday, best friend!” The two hopped up and down, just like when they were young kids. “I’ve missed you!” She pulled away, still wearing her top-of-the-line outfit from the encore of her show. “I told you I wouldn’t miss your birthday! I made sure that this was our last stop on the tour because my best friend, yeah she deserves the best.”

Jessy had definitely grown up since they’d last seen her. Bobby was shocked that he may dare to say she was more beautiful than Maria. While Maria had a very underrated beauty, Jessy had thick dark brown hair that was perfectly done with loose curls and big, full lips. She also had matching freckles across her nose to Bobby’s.

“Well the gang’s all here!” Jessy looked at the three attendees. “Eh, well almost. Can’t say I’m shocked.” She spoke with a perfect English accent, unlike Maria who’s accent was unmistakably Spaniard. She took turns hugging each of the three. “Bobby! It’s been so long!” She pulled back from the hug with a sparkling, million pound smile. “You look exactly the same.”

“Is that a good or a bad thing?” Bobby blushed a bit. He certainly didn’t expect for Jessy’s beauty to surpass her sister’s. Not that his feelings had changed, how could they? He’d felt this way for her for over a decade now.

“It’s a good thing! Seeing all of you, it feels like I’m home!” She turned to Gary. “So you drove right?”

“I did.” Gary smiled proudly, crossing his arms with a grin. He’d just bought a new car and loved driving it everywhere.

“Want to pull it around? I got us a table at a club not too far from here. I figured I’d have my assistant drive your car back so he can pick us up when Chelsea’s ready to leave. Assuming, you’re okay with someone driving your baby?”

“Please, Gary!” Chelsea clasped her hands together and frowned. “Pretty please!”

“Aw,” Lottie laughed. “Come on, Gaz! How can you say no to that cute little face?” Lottie playfully pinched Chelsea’s cheeks and laughed again while Chelsea rubbed her face unhappily.

“Alright but you’re coming with me, Lotta,” he insisted.

“Me too!” Chelsea jogged past them. “Let’s go!” Lottie and Gary unwillingly followed her and disappeared.  _ Good old Chelsea, never giving those two time alone since she was a kid _ , Bobby thought to himself.

“Alright, good, I got you alone,” Jessy said, turning on a dime to face Bobby. “We don’t have much time but I’ve got a proposition for you.”

Jessy smiled mischievously. Bobby knew he probably shouldn’t even listen to what she had to say but her emerald eyes were persuading him to have a listen. “A proposition?”

“You’re in love with Maria, right?” Jessy placed her hands on her hip, still wearing her smirk. Bobby couldn’t say anything, he just nodded cautiously. “I can help you get her to commit to you.”

“How could you possibly do that?” Bobby narrowed his eyes but in a curious way. Her smile faded but the light survived with the twinkle in her eyes.

“Maria has always gotten what she wants except the fame that I have. She can’t stand it. If we pretend to be together, she’ll get jealous and next time she knocks on your door at 3 AM, it’ll be because she’s begging you to date her, not to just stick in her.” Jessy winked then Bobby’s face began to feel like it was burned by the sun. He didn’t realize that the two were very close, thinking there would be no way she’d know this but then again… Chelsea was her best friend.

“What would you get out of this?” Bobby couldn’t imagine there wasn’t some kind of hidden agenda to Jessy’s plan. She was Jessy Diaz, what could she possibly need from him?

She rolled her eyes, taking her hands from her hips and crossing them tightly across her chest instead. “I,” she paused for a moment. “I have my reasons. You can trust that it’s a win-win for both of us, I promise.” A commotion came from the door as Chelsea and Lottie’s voice echoed in the room. Jessy turned to Bobby and raised an eyebrow with the same devilish grin. “So what do you say?”

What could he say? This may be his only chance to end up with the girl of his dreams. What choice did he have? He looked at Lottie and Chelsea, noticing they were far enough away but he’d still need to make his decision quickly. He returned his attention to the green-eyed fallen angel. “I’m in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Whoever said, “Money can’t solve your problems.”  
>  Must not have had enough money to solve ‘em  
> They say, “Which one?” I say, “No I want all of ‘em.”  
> Happiness is the same price as red bottoms  
>   
> My smile is beamin’, my skin is gleamin’  
> The way it shine, I know you seen it  
> I bought a crib just for the closet  
> Both his and hers, **I want it, I got it**  
>  **7 Rings by Ariana Grande**_
> 
> fic fun fact: The story was 100% inspired by various songs by Ariana Grande. The top two songs that made the plot come together are Into You and One Last Time.


	2. don't blame me

A pounding headache woke Bobby at what felt like, five in the morning. He groaned in disgust, looking over at the alarm clock only to find the harsh reality of 9 AM. He never really slept in, there were too many things he needed to do to keep up his business. Up until recently, it seemed he’d be keeping his business from his apartment but with it all on the upswing, he seemed to be on his way to be able to get a loan from the bank to buy a real bakery on a street with a storefront. The whole shebang! He really should have been up and at it early to work more on it but he accepted his fate of the day: wearing sunglasses inside and hoping the light would stop yelling.

He finally stopped and realized that he was in an unfamiliar room; a pretty posh, well decorated room. He sat up, noticing the white, faux fur blanket draped over his body. The room dripped with white, pale pink and light grey colors. He was certain he had never seen this room at Chelsea’s before, although it did look like her handiwork. Three pictures with white frames hung perfectly over the bed and a lush shabby chic rug covering the floor. The tile seemed to be made of marble which meant wherever he was, it was in a very expensive house. He noticed a black piano in the corner of the room, which was next to large french doors that led out to an enormous poolside. A knock on the door shocked him; he would have had to find out where he was eventually though. He shuffled over to the grand door and opened it to find Jessy standing there.

“Good morning!” she said cheerfully. She walked in past him and made herself comfortable on the bed, sitting daintily on the edge. She was dressed in navy leggings and a hot pink sports bra, looking as if she had just come from the gym with her messy ponytail. “How’re you feeling?”

“I feel like I was hit by a truck,” Bobby admitted. “Then it backed up and ran me over again. What happened last night? I never get drunk.” He paused for a moment, crossing his arms. “How come you feel alright? I thought I remembered you taking birthday shots with all of us. After that, I don’t remember much of anything though.”

Jessy laughed. “Good thing I brought you the good stuff!” She got up and placed a water bottle, an Evian bottle (just to note that) and a few pink pills. “It’s Advil, I thought you might need it. As for me, I don’t drink more than two shots and one margarita with Patron when I drink so I never blackout or feel hungover that way. Could you imagine the hayday the paparazzi would have?” She shook her head. “You must have forgotten how much more careful I have to be than you guys.”

He hadn’t even thought of how Jessy must be under a microscope 24/7. He suddenly felt flush, feeling heat immediately all over his face. She probably had to babysit him the night before. How could he let something so embarrassing happen? This was little Jessica Diaz, he used to babysit her for crying out loud! “Wow, I’m so embarrassed,” he said. “You were probably having to keep us all out of trouble. Especially me, nothing good comes out of me drinking heavily.”

“No, definitely not. You did try to make out with a poster cutout with my sister on it,” Jessy replied. She bit her lip, leaving puppy dog eyes on her face. How did she grow up to look like that? Even after a workout, she looked effortlessly gorgeous. While Maria may paint her face on most days, Jessy looked exactly the way she did the night before at her concert.

“You’re kidding, right?” Bobby shook his head, cupping his face with his hands as if it would change the embarrassment. “I’m so sorry, Jessy. I don’t even know what to say or do to make up for that. That has to be the most humiliating thing I’ve ever done in public.” He allowed his hands to fall by his side again.

Jessy let a smile spread on her face. “You should have seen your face,” she laughed. “No, you weren’t that bad.” She shrugged and sat down on the bed again, this time moving her arms back and leaning to relax herself onto the bed a bit. “However, a guy  _ did _ try to hit on me and you kind of told him to…” She sat up and used her hands to make air quotes. “Fuck off and not to speak to little Jessica.”

“I would have rather the poster, I just want you to know that.” Did he really get protective over her? It made sense, he had known her since she was a kid. Although… She definitely was not a kid anymore. She looked 100% grown up, even more so than the last time he saw her which was around when she was 18-years-old. Sure, he’d seen her in music videos but when she was wearing provocative outfits, he turned them off. He just couldn’t gawk at her like that.

Jessy shrugged and stifled a small laugh. “That’s alright, Bobby.” She hopped off the bed and glided over to the opposite side of the room, looking out the window towards the massive pool. “You know that I’m not a little girl anymore though, right? I’m a grown woman,” she said as she turned around. She pointed to her figure with her hands. “If you couldn’t tell.” She sat down on the piano bench and punched a few keys. “I mean, if it’ll be too weird for you to take the deal I gave you last night, I totally understand. I suppose I could see how you may see me as Maria’s kid sister still. I assure you I’m not, I’m more grown than she will ever be.”

“You can say that again,” he said without thinking. “Uh, I mean, yeah I know you’re not a kid anymore.”

“Checking me out, McKenzie?” She lifted an eyebrow and smirked. She was enjoying this too much and he could tell. He swallowed hard and was more than certain she could hear the thumping of his heart even as far as she was away from him. “I’m teasing you. If you hadn’t guessed already, being in the spotlight like I am means that everyone is looking at me. Honestly, the guy was kind of a creep. I was glad you came over and acted like,” she stopped for a second. “Well, the fake boyfriend you were supposed to be acting like.” She sighed. “We should talk about that deal and how we’re going to do it. I want to make sure you get what you want out of it.”

He didn’t say anything. He had gotten to the point where he was hot and cold about Maria. Did he want her? Did he want to wait for her? It had been over ten years since he had fallen for her but he hadn’t gotten past the friendship part even if it included benefits every once in a blue moon. “I guess I still don’t understand what you’ll be getting out of it,” he said.

“I’ll get plenty out of it, believe me,” she said. “I’ll also get publicity. I haven’t had a boyfriend that I was out in the open over in a while. When we break up I’ll be able to put out songs about love, romance and break-ups. It’ll sell those songs fast for one. Everyone seems to think I’m some ice queen because I never have a boyfriend yet I have guys in the magazines saying they’d love to take me out. It’s like everyone thinks I’m turning them down because I’m a diva with unattainable standards. The next thing I get out of it doesn’t really need to be discussed. I’d rather not talk about it, if that’s okay.”

“Sure,” he said. “So you’re hoping to get publicity out of this and you want to help me with Maria?”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t get me wrong, Bobby.” She rested her elbow on top of the piano and rested her cheek in her hand. “Chelsea is my best friend. Don’t you think I know the whole story? I also may not be close with Maria but I hear all the angles. Do I know you love Maria? Yeah, I do and maybe you deserve a proper chance even if she doesn’t deserve it. Do I also think you can do better? Yes, I do.”

“You don’t know me very well though,” he argued a bit.

“Again,” she said. “My best friend is Chelsea. I know enough to know that you could do better than Maria. You guys think you know her well but, you don’t know a thing.” She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, it’s not my business. You want Maria, I’ll help you. End of.”

“So what is the evil genius plan of yours?” Was he really considering it? It seemed wrong, tricking Maria into wanting to be with him. But what if this was his only chance? He needed to know once and for all if he had a chance with her. If this didn’t work, he’d know it was time to move on but if it did work, well, he’d be a hell of a lucky guy.

“Alright well, obviously we have to go out and do things together. We have to act all coupley and whatever,” she said. He had started to notice that Jessy wasn’t overly girly, in fact she seemed a lot more laid back than Maria. Unless she was just a lot better at hiding her fiery side. “We might have to do some talk shows on my end. It’ll take a lot of acting though. I know I’m okay with it but how do you feel about it?”

“About lying on telly?” He shrugged. “I could do it if you needed me to.”

“That’s good, then.” She laughed. “Wow, this is weird, isn’t it? It’s like we’re plotting to take over the world.”

“Are you saying you’re the Brain and I’m Pinky?” Bobby joked.

“Oh, for sure.” She gave him an exaggerated wink and laughed. “But just to be serious a second, I know Maria is going to fall for this. No offense Bobby but, she is wildly jealous of me. She wants everything I have. Who knows how long we’ll have. This might be your shortest relationship in history.”

“I don’t know,” he laughed. “I had a girlfriend for thirty minutes on the playground when I was five. She broke up with me because I had cooties. In her defense, I definitely did.”

“That was really reckless of you to not get the cootie shot,” she replied. “I get mine every year though so you’re safe with me.”

Bobby grinned. “I’m glad you practice safety in relationships.”

“Oh, of course. I even put a glove on it,” she laughed. “Well, on my hands that is during flu season. Wouldn’t want you to catch something when I hold your hand.” She smiled. “I forgot how easy it is to banter with you. I’m pretty sure you taught me everything I know about that.”

“It’s always such a proud moment for a teacher to watch their student flourish.”

“Hey,” she said. “Want to go to dinner with me later? My treat, well, as long as you’re baking dessert later. I’ve got the kitchen for it!”

“This is your house, innit?” He asked.

"Wait," she said. "I thought this was your house? You’re kidding, right?!” She laughed again. “Bobby, you’ve just been sitting here thinking we’re chatting in a stranger’s house? Of course, this is my place! You’re hilarious. Anyways, sound like a plan?”

“Sounds like one to me,” he said with a smile. He was sure he hadn’t stopped smiling since she walked through the doorway though.

She got up from the piano bench and walked over to the doorway again. “Oh,” she paused and glanced back at him. “One more thing, this is the one rule you need to make sure you follow during this plan.”

“What’s that?” His smile faded when he heard the seriousness in her voice. Her big green eyes were so easy for him to get lost in, he looked to her anticipating and hanging on every word.

“Just make sure you don’t fall madly in love with me,” she said. She smiled again and winked at him. 

“The same goes for you,” he answered. “I know I’m super irresistible but try to keep it in your pants.”

“Give me your phone,” she demanded. He obliged while she typed away. Jessy put on a sexy smirk, it had to be that. “Me? Keep it in my pants? Have you heard the majority of my songs? Oh, no promises. But I’ll see you tonight. I’ll text you the details. I put myself in your contacts.” What had he just gotten himself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I read the things they write about me  
>  Hear what they’re saying on the TV, it’s crazy  
> It’s getting hard for them to shock me  
> But every now and then,  
> It’s shocking, **don’t blame me**  
>  I know it’s the life that I chose  
> But baby, I’m grateful, I want you to know  
> I’m happy for the love and all the above  
> If I’m being honest  
> I done been through way too much  
>   
> I can’t fake another smile  
> I can’t fake I’m alright  
> And I won’t say I’m feeling fine  
> After what I been through, I can’t lie  
>  **Fake Smile by Ariana Grande**_  
>   
>  fic fun fact: Jessy had a crush on Bobby when she was 11-years-old. He was technically her first real crush but six years is a pretty big gap for 11-years-old and 17-years-old. Right now, Jessy and Chelsea are 21-years-old while Bobby, Lottie, Gary and Maria are 28.


	3. blow your mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's kind of a filler chapter but hopefully the fluff works for you :) i will be attempting to put up the next chapter today as well

Jessy had texted Bobby the details about their first fake date. “Wear the nicest shirt in your closet ;)” was not a big indicator of where they were going but he wasn’t sure if she was insinuating that he had poor taste or if they were going somewhere fancy. He felt a little silly to ask though so he figured he’d just roll with it. Weirdly enough, he felt a bit nervous. He quickly shook that off; he was probably only worried about lying to Maria. What was she going to think when she saw him with Jessy? In a  _ romantic _ way? Secondly, who even thought he’d end up going on a date, even a fake date, with Maria’s little sister to make Maria jealous?

He didn’t know very much about their relationship but he did know that Maria took every opportunity to blast Jessy. It seemed pretty recent; Maria never seemed to be bothered when they were teenagers by her sister. In fact, she showed her off as the cutest little sister in the world. She took her shopping and went to the movies with her. He couldn’t help but wonder when all of that changed. Was Jessy’s fame really to blame for all that? All the answers would have to wait and he knew that. For now, he had to get ready for his faux date with Jessy.

He grabbed a button up shirt from his small closet and threw that on with a pair of khaki pants. He glanced at himself in the mirror and gave himself an assuring nod. He could do this, right? A  _ ding _ from his phone interrupted his confidence boost.

“Hey, I’m here. Let’s gooooo, I’m starving!!” Jessy’s text read.

There was no backing out now, he took a slow breath and tried to psych himself up. It didn’t really work, he still felt uneasy. He knew that something was about to change drastically, his life could be different tomorrow and look completely different from that a month from then. He let himself travel down the staircase of his apartment, thankful Jessy hadn’t invited herself up to see his flat, which may as well have been a closet in her place. 

Bobby’s jaw dropped onto the sidewalk. Was Jessy really this well off?! A sleek black limo stood out in front with the driver waiting by the back door. “Bobby McKenzie?” the man inquired.

“That’ll be me,” he answered with a bewildered look.

“Alright, let’s go. Miss Diaz is in the back waiting for you.” He opened the car door and inside, he could see Jessy leaning back into the seat with her phone planted in front of her face. She lifted the phone and made a pose.

He slid into the limo and looked around it. It was one of those fancy ones with a stocked mini bar. “Whenever you’re back on Earth,” Jessy said. “Let me know.” She sat up a bit and turned towards him. “Hey, as long as we do this, you have to get used to this. I don’t always drive myself places but I also had to make this really believable.”

“Believable? For who? Are we seeing Maria already?” Bobby asked.

“No, definitely not. We’re not there quite yet,” Jessy giggled. “But, we do need to catch the attention of the world first to get her blood boiling. I may have asked my manager to tip off some of the gossip magazines and shows on the telly.”

“Oh, so you’re so excited to show me off, huh?” Bobby responded. “How do you know I’ll like you enough to go on a second fake date with you?”

“What’s not to like?” Jessy laughed again. “I put on my expensive perfume for this, I’m expecting it to go well.”

“Is that what that bad smell is?” Bobby laughed along with her as she gave him a playful shove. For a slight moment, he thought about how much easier it was to hang out with Jessy than Maria but he quickly dismissed it. 

“I’m pretty sure that’s you, babe,” she said with a shrug. “Did you even shower for this or are you just too hung up on my sister to have any fun?” She smirked a bit. “I do want to make sure you’re okay though. You haven’t had cameras shoved in your face yet, the reporters are not going to go light on you.” 

“What do you think they’re going to do?” Bobby was afraid to know. He was a baker, not an actor. Even when the school put on a play, he would get the part of Tree #3. He couldn’t even be the first one, he had the part of the third one! He felt his palms get sweaty. The nerves were kicking in now that he knew that the world would know he was on a date with Jessy Diaz, even if he knew it wasn’t a real one.

“Probably nothing when we go in. I imagine that once we go in and act like a couple, they’ll hit us on the way out with their pictures and questions. I know it’s weird for you but we’re going to have to hold hands, look flirty, smile a lot and laugh. You’re also going to either have to kiss me on the cheek on the way out or let me kiss your cheek. I think we can both agree we can leave those french kisses out of this.” She leaned in a bit and put her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. “If you don’t feel okay with it, we can still back out but if we step out of this limo together, there’s no turning back.”

Bobby fiddled with his fingers. “No, I said we would do this and we will.” He looked at her, there was a surprised look in her eyes; they were wide and hanging on every word he said. “Don’t be too shocked! I 100% expect to be compensated with really expensive meals followed by stops at McDonald’s when the restaurants have portions that are too small.”

“McDonald’s?! Bobby, come on, keep up,” she sighed. “We would go to Five Guys after the expensive meals. Go greasy or go home.” Jessy leaned away, placing her shoulder on the door and stared out the window.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Bobby asked. Jessy seemed to quickly go from laughing and goofing off to heavy and serious like a light switch. He’d noticed her doing that a few times this morning. She may have been more complicated than she’d previously let on.

“What?” Jessy looked over at Bobby, meeting with his golden hazel eyes. “Sorry. My mind goes a mile a minute. I’m always thinking about what I’m going to write next.” She sat up a bit straighter. “Do you ever feel like you have to do something because that’s what people expect out of you? Like, you can’t change what you’re doing because people wouldn’t accept it.”

Jessy seemed so happy in her life but had Bobby read that all wrong? She seemed pained by something, as if she wanted to break out and be free. “Do you mean like, you want to do something else with your life?”

“No, not exactly. It’s more like… Well, you’ve heard my songs, right? They’re all pretty provocative. All of them, every single one. Sometimes, I just want to sing about other things. Sing the songs that I write instead of being about sex all the time.”

“Sex all the time?! What’s the problem?” Bobby joked. “I’m kidding if you didn’t catch on. I guess it’s kind of the same with me. My dad opened a restaurant when we moved here, right? And he wanted me to take over but I really only like to make desserts.”

“So what did you do?”

“I told my dad,” he explained. “Sure, he wasn’t exactly jumping for joy but he understood that it wasn’t my passion the same way it was his.”

“You’re really lucky,” Jessy replied sadly.

“Why do you say that?”

“My dad would probably hit the roof. He’d be angry that I want to blow up this whole brand he built for me and he’d probably tell me I’m ungrateful for the fame and talent I have. He’d throw Maria’s failure in my face.” She shook her head quickly. “I’m sorry, I know you feel differently about her. I’m just thinking how my dad thinks.”

“It’s okay,” he said. “Do you want to talk about it more?”

“We’re here.” Jessy abruptly ended their conversation. Bobby was seeing there was more to her than met the eye; Maria and Jessy were complete opposites of the spectrum. Maria seemed to be all about pleasing herself while Jessy seemed to want to make her dad happy, seemed to live for others instead of herself. At least, that’s what it looked like after the conversation but Jessy wasn’t going to give any more information so he was going to have to leave it in the back of his mind for now and hope they circled back to it later.

Bobby followed behind her out of the limo and caught up with her. He offered his arm and smiled. “Ready to make this fakebook official, m’lady?”

“Why of course,” Jessy said. “I thought you’d never ask!” She linked her arm with his and led him to the door. “I know you said you’re more into dessert but I think you’ll be going home satisfied.”

“So no Five Guys after this?”

“I never said that…”

The doors opened to a room that Bobby could not have imagined beyond his wildest dreams. Large circular chandeliers hung and glimmered but even the chairs at the tables were more posh than his own bed. He’d never been somewhere so fancy and it was clear this was the way the clients inside liked it; he was certain he saw Ian McKellan in the back corner. Jessy trotted up to the hostess, whose dark and heavy makeup reminded Bobby of Lottie. The girl smiled slightly at Jessy as if it was some kind of expectation then let it fall when she looked to Bobby, giving him a disapproving stare. 

“This way,” she said, still giving Bobby an icy glare.

Jessy laughed a little. “She scares me,” Bobby whispered.

“I’ll protect you,” Jessy whispered back jokingly.

She sat down inside the posh booth, they were placed away from the other guests but Bobby wasn’t sure if that was decided before they walked in or after they took a look at his ensemble. The hostess mumbled about the specials before darting back to her station. “She seems friendly,” Bobby remarked. “Hope we see her again soon.”

“Do you want me to get her number for you?” Jessy leaned forward and grabbed the black napkin that was rolled up. 

“How come you get the black one and I get the white one?”

Jessy laughed. “The black one is for guests with dark clothing and the white one is for guests with light clothing. It’s so there isn’t lint on your clothes when you leave.”

“This place is too fancy for me, I would have been good with paper napkins. I wasn’t aware I needed to color coordinate with my napkin at dinner.”

“I’ll give you more notice next time,” Jessy giggled. “We haven’t really had a chance to catch up, what is going on in the world of Bobby McKenzie?”

“Well, I grew out of the eyeliner phase,” Bobby said with a shrug.

“Probably for the best,” Jessy responded.

“Hey, I’ll have you know I had a lot of girls saying I rocked that eyeliner!” Bobby watched Jessy tuck her long, chocolate hair behind her ear. It was a little strange looking at her across the table. She was Maria’s kid sister after all but would it be weird to admit it also felt a little right? Now that she was an adult, it felt like they would truly have an individual relationship but he hid the thought of him and Maria in the back of his head. Would their friendship continue once Maria knew about their “fake” dating relationship? “I don’t sing in the band anymore, anyways so I retired the Maybelline eyeliner.” He leaned back a bit in the booth. “Um, I actually have another thing I haven’t even told Gary, Lottie or Maria.”

Jessy’s eyes widened, leaning forward even more over the table and smiled genuinely. She seemed so excited as if he was letting her in on a secret only she would ever know. “Are you going to tell me?” She responded.

“You can’t tell anyone but it’s been killing me to be the only person who knows,” he continued. “I actually just applied for a loan at Barclays to start my own bakery. I mean, I probably won’t get approved.”

“Why wouldn’t you be approved?”

“Last I spoke with Brandon, the guy who was handling it, he told me that there was no way unless I had an investor. I guess they’re trying to see if they can find someone. He said I seemed promising on paper.” Bobby knew he seemed like a good laugh all the time, it actually made him feel bad that he dampened the mood so much with his own problems. If he could be all jokes all the time, he would; all he wanted was for everyone to be happy even if he wasn’t. “I also just got a pet hamster and my sister, Kennedy just turned 18-years-old so my parents are officially empty nesters.”

“Bobby,” Jessy said. “I babysat Kennedy for five years, I sent her a birthday gift.” She lifted an eyebrow and he could tell she saw through his sad attempts to steer the conversation away from his personal life, well the personal parts aside from Maria. “Also, someone would be crazy not to invest in you. I’ve seen and heard all about what you can do with cake. I’m sure they’ll find someone with a lot of experience in new businesses to invest in it.” Someone would be crazy not to invest in  _ him _ she said. Not the business, but him. “Also, a hamster? Too afraid of commitment for a dog?”

“You don’t have a dog either!” He pointed out to her.

“No but I thought about it,” she retorted. “Has to count for something.”

“It counts for having a fear of commitment apparently,” he replied. “There are some really interesting things on this menu, by the way.”

“What? I mean, don’t you eat Haggis?” Jessy acted surprised.

“I do but for some reason it sounds more appetizing than.” He paused and looked at the menu again, scanning his finger down the paper and reading it off. “Lobster Frittata Omelette with Caviar.”

“So I’m guessing the $700 burger is off the table too,” Jessy replied. “And the caviar nachos.”

“Good burgers cost under $12 and also, there’s something really disturbing about Caviar but I’m not sure why,” he laughed. “Okay, so want to mess with the waiter when they come over?” Jessy went to open her mouth then grinned. She nodded excitedly.

Right on cue, the waiter walked up. “Good evening, I’m Walter and I’ll be your server tonight. Can I interest you in any of our specialty wines?”

“Right, Walter,” Bobby said. “Actually, we were just saying that because my beautiful girlfriend has been gone on tour for so long that we wanted to skip right to dessert.”

“Oh well, certainly, sir,” Walter added. “I can remove these menus and retrieve dessert menus.”

“Not that kind of dessert,” Jessy interrupted while maintaining eye contact. She even added a wink just for extra awkwardness for the waiter.

“Well, uh,” Walter faltered. “I suppose I will get out of your way…”

“I hope it tastes as sweet as you say,” Jessy added in again. This time it looked like she was holding back laughter.

“Oh, I love when you talk dirty to me like that,” Bobby smirked through the chuckle.

“Goodnight to you both,” Walter said as he practically ran off.

Bobby and Jessy finally let the laughter out. “That poor guy,” Jessy said. “I’m at least going to leave him a bill.”

“I can’t believe you added that in! ‘I hope it tastes as sweet as you say!’ Oh my God, I almost died right then.”

Jessy smiled. “Get your head out of the gutter,” she continued. “I was talking about your cupcakes. Well, I guess we still have to eat. Five Guys?”

“Never been there but if you say it’s good, I’m game.” Bobby stood up and offered his hand. “Want to sell this really well?”

“Oh for sure.” Jessy took Bobby’s hand. He shook his head, this was all fake. Her hand definitely didn’t fit there better than Maria’s did. “I haven’t had this much fun in ages. Thank you for taking my mind off things.”

“What things?”

Jessy stayed quiet. “Nothing really,” she finally answered. “Just, it was nice to escape from my normal life and have well, a normal life for a little bit.”

Bobby nodded and led her to the exit, which was just their entrance less than fifteen minutes prior. The hostess didn’t say anything, just stared at her podium and ignored their existence but that was alright with him. Upon hitting the brisk wind outside, they were bombarded with flashing lights and screams.

“Jessy! Who is this mystery man?” One man with a camera screams out to Jessy.

“Jessy, just one question,” a woman with a notepad directed. “You haven’t been in a serious relationship once since your big break. Who’s the man who’s got you head over heels? Do we hear wedding bells soon?”

Bobby was stunned. This was intense. Would he ever have to speak to these people? Probably, they’d know what he looked like and would most likely be following him around.

“No wedding bells,” Jessy commented. Thank God she was answering instead. “This is Bobby and we have actually known each other a really, really long time. He went to school with my sister and we just reconnected when I came back.” She answered the questions flawlessly. The reporters were writing all sorts of things like crazy. Was this really how she had to live her life? “He’s a sweetheart, I’m so lucky to have met him.”

Bobby felt his heart flutter a bit but he knew that she was playing the part. He heard lots of questions then being directed to him. “Bobby, can you comment on Jessy’s statement? How serious is your relationship?”

He wasn’t sure what to say, he stood there like an idiot. He thought himself to be a pretty outgoing guy, he wasn’t easily rendered speechless but this was terrifying. Jessy tugged on him a bit and pulled him down slightly, landing a kiss on his cheek that made him burn up. Embarrassment? Flustered? He couldn’t tell you.

“Alright, that’s enough of the 20 questions. I hope all of you have a nice night,” Jessy said as she pulled Bobby along with her. She pushed him gently back into the limo which didn’t have much time to leave in the first place. She shut the door and let out a relieved exhale.

“Well, I’m exhausted,” he said. “How do you put up with that?! I would have retired already. I actually feel like retiring now and I’ve barely done anything.”

Jessy’s phone started to ring before she could answer. “Hold on,” she groaned. “Hello?” Jessy’s facial expression showed how irritated she was. Her face scrunched as she rolled her eyes as she listened half-heartedly to the person on the other end. “Why do I need to do that exactly?” She leaned away from Bobby as she listened again, turning her whole body towards the window. “I don’t even see why that matters. Since when does she care about that?” She paused again. “Whatever, fine. See you then.” She hung up aggressively, pushing the “End” button on her screen like her life depended on it. “Hope you’re still up for some fun because it looks like we’re going to have a family get-together,” she explained. “And Maria is not happy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _She might’a let you hold her hand in school  
>  But I’ma show you how to graduate  
> No, I don’t need to hear you talk the talk  
> Just come and show me what your mama gave ya  
> I heard you got a very big, shhh  
> Mouth but don’t say a thing_
> 
> _See anybody could be good to you  
>  You need a bad girl to **blow your mind**  
>  **Bang Bang by Ariana Grande**_
> 
> **fic fun fact:** At first, Blake was the sister that Bobby was in love with and Maria was the one who was making a deal with him but Jessy would have been the youngest of the three. Jessy would have also been Maria’s manager. Obviously, Blake didn’t make the cut and the plot was changed slightly to make that work.


End file.
